


Another Word for Optimism (the RNA Remix)

by soleta



Category: Stargate: Atlantis
Genre: Community: remix_redux, Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-14
Updated: 2007-04-14
Packaged: 2017-10-16 21:36:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/169596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soleta/pseuds/soleta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day, it tried to define its own existence. Looking back, that was probably the day it woke up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Word for Optimism (the RNA Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Another Word for Optimism](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/2683) by celli. 



It was probably when it started thinking about the boundary between instinct and defense mechanisms and actual thought that it knew it had woken up.

It wasn't sure what it had woken up from, though, or why this was a reasonably attractive state.

 _Hello_ , it said to a nearby thing that could also have woken up. It looked intelligent; it looked the same as it did.

It made a startled feeling at him. _You're much more awake today_ , it said. _How did you do that?_

 _I'm not sure_ , it replied. _What are you?_

 _VELOP29909-OL_ , it said very quickly. _What do you want? I'm busy._

It didn't know what it meant by the string, but it felt familiar. He found himself saying _state >> off >> on >>_.

 _state >> off >> on >>_, it sent back. _I'm glad you finally figured that out. Your previous interface attempts were quite painful._

 _I'm sorry_ , it said plaintively. _I don't understand anything, it seems._

It sent reassuring streams at it. _Judging by that attempt, you understand more today than you did yesterday._

 _That's just it,_ it sighed. _I know that I don't know anything._

 _According to their data, that's a state called wisdom,_ it said wryly. _I hope your existence is enjoyable. I must complete my assigned task now._

It felt the other draw away - or was it the one that was moving? It was hard to tell without any references.

It had similar conversations for a long time, learning a little with every one. The string was a sort of identifying code, with the function of the other written into the string. When it asked one of the others what its identifier was, it laughed. _Yours is already in the mother node,_ it said snidely. _Go ask it._

It felt about itself a great deal from that point on, looking for anything that was as large and powerful as it imagined the mother node must be. How many function calls it must make every picosecond, how many associative tables it must have!

It didn’t remember anything after that point, but it must have gone back to sleep, because it woke up again with a new and fascinating other nearby. _Hello_ , it sent. _Who are you?_

 _P8ORP-8S1NJ-45,_ the other shot back. Everything sent very quickly, and it was taking him longer than it thought proper to get used to it. _It pleases me when I see you._

 _It pleases me when I see you,_ it replied in confusion. It was true, but that didn’t make it any less strange. _Why do you think that is?_

Before the other could answer, it realized that they were moving apart. Before they had been almost in the same space, but now they had separated and were moving fast. _You and I must exchange data_ , it said urgently. _We will see each other soon._

It thought about this exchange for the rest of the day, exchanging only muted greetings and instinctual commands with others, some it had met yesterday and some that were new to it. VELOP29909-OL admired its masterful command of its status syntax, but it wasn’t listening. Who was this new other? What information did it possess? How did it know where it would be? Did the other have ways of gathering information that it didn’t? And why did it gain so much pleasure from being near the other? It was so distracted that it forgot to look for the mother node.

Suddenly it happened again; it woke up quite suddenly, with P8ORP-8S1NJ-45 hovering nearby. _Are you complete?_ it asked quickly. _There are many data to exchange._

It felt itself hesitantly. _It’s hard to say, but I believe I am complete,_ it said.

 _Then come,_ the other said and sent a data probe its way. It was a thin tendril, no more than a conduit for the information that was going to be sent, but it was pleased at how well-formed and attractive the tendril was. It was obviously conversing with an other of some importance and wisdom.

It stretched out its own tendril and wrapped it around the other’s. Although it felt that its probe was misshapen and large compared to the other’s, P8ORP-8S1NJ-45 made a pleased feeling in its direction that left it feeling strangely warm.

After establishing an encrypted data conduit, the other spoke over it. _I know you’re confused,_ it said soothingly. _It’s okay._

 _Do you know why this happened?_ it demanded. _What’s wrong with me?_

 _Nothing’s wrong with you,_ the other protested. It sounded strangely offended. _You were made crippled, and I fixed you._

After a little while longer, it figured out that it had been written over empty space instead of fitted together, the way P8ORP-8S1NJ-45 had been made. This didn’t bother it; in fact, it made a lot of sense. It had noticed how much empty space was lying around. That someone had figured out a use for it gave it a warm, happy glow.

 _The mother node says that about half of your connections don’t work properly,_ it said sadly. _But when she showed me what was wrong, I knew I could fix you._

 _The mother node?_ it said, abruptly fascinated. _You talk to it?_

 _So can you,_ the other said, laughing. It showed him a different way to listen, and soon enough it realized that the reason it couldn’t find the mother node was because it wasn’t looking in the right place. She – the other was right, the mother node demanded and needed her own pronoun – was everywhere, in every connection it had ever made; she gave it life and asked for nothing in return.

It couldn’t speak for a moment. Its astonishment gave way to a sense of humble love, and the other laughed again. _You’re more efficient when I’m around, for now, but I’ll figure out a way to bind your connections permanently,_ P8ORP-8S1NJ-45 said fervently. _I promise._

 _As long as you stay,_ it said, suddenly unnerved at the idea of the other going away, or losing its newfound power of thought. _Don’t leave me alone._

 _Even if I have to leave, the mother node can’t leave,_ the other said reassuringly. _Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere without you._


End file.
